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Museum Guidelines

Welcome to MOPA

Thank you for visiting the Museum of Photographic Arts. To make the most of your visit, here are some tips and general information to ensure a positive experience.

We are a bilingual museum and you will find all our exhibition texts in English and Spanish.

Service Animals Are Welcome. Therapy and service animals are welcome inside the Museum. Pets are not allowed.

Feel Free to Sit. Please enjoy the seating placed throughout the galleries for your comfort and convenience.

Children Are Welcome. We want children to enjoy the galleries. We invite them to talk, laugh and move around freely. However, running and other physical activity in which they can hurt themselves or damage the works of art are not permitted. Children must always be accompanied by an adult. Strollers are welcome throughout the museum.

Coat Check: For your comfort, a Coat Check is available at the front desk to stow food, beverages, backpacks, oversized items, umbrellas and other objects not allowed in the galleries as space permits.

Thank You for Not Eating or Drinking. We thank you for not eating and drinking in the Museum and Theater. Water bottles are allowed in the Museum and Theater, but must remain closed.

Photographs are allowed. Photography in the galleries is allowed only for personal, noncommercial use. Please do not use a flash since it damages the art. We cannot allow the use of tripods in the galleries because it disrupts the experience for other visitors. For press or special photography project needs, please contact the Marketing Department at: 619.238.7559 or pr@mopa.org. The Museum reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to withhold and/or withdraw permission to photograph on its premises.

Pen or Pencil? You are welcome to sketch in the Museum. We do ask that you use pencils rather than pens. Pencils and clipboards are available for loan for your convenience at the front desk.

Talk About It. We encourage dialogue with your family and friends in the galleries. However, please be courteous to others who may be quietly reflecting on an artwork.

Please Hold the Calls. To ensure a positive experience for everyone, please refrain from cell phone conversations while in the galleries. You are welcome to have phone conversations outside of our glass doors and please feel free to re-enter as many times as you want throughout the day using your admission sticker.

To Touch or Not to Touch? It is tempting to touch a work of art. Though one touch may not seem like much, even the slightest contact can damage the surface of a photograph or ruin the glass. A good rule is to keep a two-foot safety zone between you and a work of art. This helps to avoid accidental touching or bumping. As it is the Museum’s responsibility to ensure the works of art remain safe, we thank you for not touching on behalf of future generations of visitors. Please do not lean on or touch walls or cases, either to write on or for physical support. Feel free to sit on the benches or the floor as you look, talk, write or draw. Interactive opportunities are located throughout the galleries for visitors to touch and experience. These interactive components are labeled for your convenience.

Tours and Groups: If there is a tour or program in the galleries, feel free to enter the gallery. Please respect the group and move around them.